LinkedIn Expands Thought Leader Ads to Include Event Promotions

LinkedIn has unveiled a significant enhancement to its LinkedIn Business Manager advertising platform, allowing businesses to sponsor user posts that contain links to LinkedIn events. The feature, announced August 13, 2025, aims to help brands amplify their event visibility through influential voices on the platform.

The expansion builds on LinkedIn's growing focus on event promotion, following a 15.3% increase in Live Video events throughout 2024. This new capability arrives as businesses seek more effective ways to promote virtual and hybrid events in the professional networking space.

Impact on Digital Marketing Strategy

The new Thought Leader Event Ads feature presents significant opportunities for marketers and event organizers. Businesses can now leverage content from executives, employees, creators, and industry experts to promote their events, provided they obtain permission from the content creators.

Data from LinkedIn demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach:

• Thought Leader Ads generate 1.6x higher engagement compared to single image promotions
• The feature works with both brand awareness and engagement objectives
• Marketers can easily access and promote event-related content through LinkedIn's Campaign Manager

Implementation and Requirements

To utilize the new feature, marketers must follow specific guidelines:

• Posts must contain direct links to LinkedIn event pages
• Creator permission is required before sponsoring any content
• Content selection is managed through the Campaign Manager's Content Library
• The "Browse Existing" function allows marketers to search for eligible posts

Strategic Applications for Businesses

Organizations can leverage this feature through innovative social media marketing strategies in several ways:

1. Amplify speaker announcements and event previews
2. Boost visibility through industry influencer endorsements
3. Extend reach through employee advocacy programs

The enhancement provides businesses with additional tools to maximize event attendance and engagement while maintaining authenticity through trusted voices in their professional networks. As LinkedIn's e-commerce capabilities continue to expand, these promotional tools become increasingly valuable for businesses looking to drive meaningful engagement.

For additional insights on LinkedIn event promotion strategies, visit LinkedIn Marketing Solutions.

Note: Event organizers should develop comprehensive content strategies incorporating influential voices, while marketing teams can coordinate promotional efforts with speakers and industry experts to maximize impact and reach.